February kickoff – Every Heart Counts

Every Mother Counts is feeling the love as we enter February. Our theme this month is Every Heart Counts and we’ll be embracing all kinds of matters of the heart. Our biggest focuses will be on how heart health impacts pregnancy, motherhood and women’s long-term health, but we’re concentrating just as hard on the importance of keeping women at the heart of our political processes. 

Why heart health?  Because, women are at particular risk for cardiovascular disease, which can seriously impact their pregnancies and babies. They’re also less likely to be diagnosed and treated for heart disease in its earliest stages, which increases their risks for early death.   In February the American Heart Association’s Wear Red Campaign is all about women’s heart health and we’ll be talking to them (plus other maternal health experts) about what women need to know before, during and after they become mothers. 

We’ll be having a serious discussion about hypertension, pre-eclampsia and eclampsia, which affect a significant number of pregnant women worldwide, but are particularly hard-hitting in African American and Black communities.  We’ll also be talking about the connection between obesity, diet, exercise and heart disease as more and more women are starting their pregnancies overweight or obese. Cardiologist, Dr. Alejandro Junger MD is sharing his ideas about the link between food, illness and mental health.  He created a unique cleanse and eating plan designed to reduce the incidence of disease and keep the heart and arteries squeaky clean.   

This February is like no other because women’s roles and representation in government have never been as strong.  With a record number of women seated in the House and the Senate at a time when the national conversation around women’s health and reproductive rights is heated and fractious we’ll be doing our best to make sure our voices are heard and our concerns addressed. As we’re entering a historic new political climate with more women than ever claiming their seats, we’ll be launching a petition (and we want you to sign it) to ask Congress to make women’s and maternal health a big priority and delivering it later this month. We’re posting that petition on our blog and our Facebook page starting today so sign on, share and help us make our presence known. We'll also be paying close attention to the State of the Union Address with particular interest and high expectations that President Obama will continue the conversation he started about women’s rights, health and leadership during his campaign.  You can bet we’ll blog all about it. 

But that’s not all we’ve got planned.  February is a busy month crammed with important events.  There’s the Super Bowl, American Black History Month, Women’s History month and, of course, Valentines Day. We’ll be doing a big “share the love” push on Facebook this month to spread the word and raise awareness about maternal health issues (check for details next week). Help us bump up our numbers by inviting your friends to Like us, read our posts and get involved.

Consider this your preview of coming attractions, but expect a few surprises too. We have some exciting guest bloggers and a full calendar of articles and events planned. We’re also leaving some blog space wide open to discuss the women’s and maternal health issues that crop up in current events and popular culture.  You just never know who next month’s “Lady Sybil might be.” Every Heart Counts because together we’ll make sure that Every Mother Counts.